The Houston Rockets reportedly aren’t anticipated to provide Kevin Durant a two-year, $122 million most contract extension after buying and selling for the long run Corridor of Famer this summer time.
“The Rockets aren’t gonna go all-in, by all appearances and by what I’ve heard, they’re not going all-in on an extension for Kevin Durant,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported on The Hoop Collective podcast.
“Now, doesn’t imply it gained’t occur, however there’ve been rumblings KD’s not gonna push for the total max. I don’t know that the Rockets are going to place something on the desk that’s near the max. I believe the Rockets are — prefer it’s not very best — however I don’t suppose they’d panic in the event that they go into the season with Kevin Durant simply on the contract that he’s on, simply on the expiring.”
Rockets Acquired Kevin Durant In A Historic Seven-Group Commerce
Houston acquired Durant from the Phoenix Suns as a part of a historic seven-team commerce on July 6, sending a bundle headlined by Jalen Inexperienced and Dillon Brooks in alternate.
Durant, who turns 37 in September, has a $54.7 million cap hit for his 2025-26 marketing campaign, the ultimate season of a four-year deal value $194 million that he signed as a member of the Brooklyn Nets in 2021.
Though the Rockets are nonetheless in a position to prolong Durant at any level and forestall him from hitting unrestricted free company in 2026, they will not be keen to supply him a max contract.
The 36-year-old’s age ought to issue into Houston’s determination, and the looming risk of leaping into the second apron will probably be thought-about as properly.
If Durant receives a two-year extension with a first-year wage of $57.4 million and ahead Tari Eason additionally indicators a rookie extension, the Rockets might be a second-apron group through the 2026-27 season, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Durant Needs To Retire With Houston
Nonetheless, Houston might resolve {that a} max contract is important with a view to preserve Durant pleased.
In spite of everything, ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed throughout a June episode of First Take that the highest precedence of Durant and the Rockets is for the 15-time All-Star to finally retire with the group.
“The objective proper now for Kevin Durant and the Rockets is for him to retire in Houston. They’re going to finally this offseason talk about a contract extension, work out the place that lands,” Charania mentioned. “However all through the method, it turned the finalists between Miami and Houston, however the Rockets actually excited Kevin Durant.
“I’m instructed, gamers like Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard. And Kevin Durant actually views himself right here. It’s an ideal slot in numerous methods. We all know, he’s a No.1 possibility, he is usually a No. 1 possibility on any given evening. The Rockets made this transfer, it’s a win-now trajectory kind of transfer.”
Regardless of his age, Durant ought to improve a younger Rockets squad that earned the No. 2 seed within the Western Convention standings with a 52-30 file final season.
